Washington: Donald Trump was sworn in for a historic second term as president on Monday, pledging a blitz of immediate orders on immigration and the US culture wars as he caps his extraordinary comeback.
With one hand raised in the air and the other on a Bible given to him by his mother, the 47th US president solemnly took the oath of office beneath the huge Rotunda of the US Capitol.
Main takeaways from speech:
- Says “golden age” of US begins now
- Says January 20, 2025, is “Liberation Day”
- Says he will begin “complete restoration of America and revolution of common sense”
- Says will announce “national emergency” at southern border
- Declares a “national energy emergency”
- “We will drill baby, drill you,” he says on using fossil fuel reserves
- Says will bring free speech back to US
- “Official policy of US government that there are only two genders, male and female”
- Vows to build “strongest military world has ever seen”
- Says servicemen released for Covid vaccine objections to be reinstated
- Says his legacy will be of “peacemaker and unifier”
- Says Gulf of Mexico will be renamed to Gulf of America; Panama Canal will be taken back; doesn’t mention Greenland
- Says US flag will be planted on Mars
Beginning his speech, Trump thanked his predecessors and Vice President Kamala Harris, saying: “The golden age of America begins right now.”
He said the US would flourish again and be respected all over the world from now on.
Trump said the US would not allow itself to be taken advantage of, saying: “During every single day of the Trump administration, I will very simply put America first.”
He said his government would “reclaim” the sovereignty of the US, restore safety and “rebalance” the scales of justice.
Trump said his “top priority” was to create a free, proud and prosperous nation. “America will soon be greater, stronger and far more exceptional than ever before.”
Trump will be the first felon to occupy the White House after a New York jury found him guilty of falsifying business records to cover up hush money paid to a porn star.
Winning the election also rid Trump of two federal indictments — for plotting to overturn the 2020 election and for retaining classified documents — thanks to a Justice Department policy that presidents cannot be prosecuted while in office.
In a report last week, Special Counsel Jack Smith said he had enough evidence to convict Trump in the election case if Trump had reached trial.
